I Want To Settle Down - Gabon | By Ibrahim Ramalan of Blueprint Newspapers

via archive.is/gUeV2 Oct 6th 2014

She lights up a picture whenever she comes across either as a lead or supporting actress in some of those critically acclaimed Kannywood (as the movie industry up North is called) movies. The large Kannywood crowd cheer at her whenever her name appears on a movie credit line.

Ask for the natural beauty and magnetic star that has proved that she is good at what she is doing and fingers will point to the Kannywood shinning star Hadiza Aliyu who is popular as Hadiza Gabon.

Born and raised in Gabon to a father who is a Gabonese and a Fulani mum who is from Mubi in Adamawa State, Hadiza whose close friends describe as genial, well mannered, cultured and good dressed, had her early education in Gabon where she studied and was awarded a diploma in French.

Hadiza joined Kannywood not too long after she arrived Nigeria. She had a chance encounter with top Kannywood actor Ali Nuhu who encouraged her to give acting a shot after the actress who described Ali Nuhu as her ‘brother, mentor and adviser,’ had sought his assistance to launch out as an actress.

With the help and guidance of Ali Nuhu and later Aminu Sherrif whom she named as one of her mentors, Hadiza got her break in Kannywood as one of the leading ladies in the urban telling Zaman Take. She rode on the back of the success of that movie and a few others after it to become a darling of the movie crowd.

“Everything worked out for me as planned. No one harassed me and no one ask me for anything before I was given a role. Meanwhile, I have heard all sorts before I joined Kannywood. But all the negative things I heard about Kannywood turned out to be untrue”, she said

Greatly adored and admired by fans and regarded by fans as one of Kannywood’s hottest actresses, Hadiza’s parents never objected to her following her dream. Hadiza disclosed that her parents gave her all the support and were pleased with her decision to pursue a career in acting.

“They supported me wholeheartedly and I am happy and more relaxed here because Gabon shares a lot of things in common with Nigeria. The only difference is that we speak mainly French in Gabon. I feel at home here and I thank God for how easily I was accepted by the people in Kannywood and my fans,” she enthused.

Star of Yar Maye, Akrizzana, Bada Ba Rai, Basaja, Daga Ni Sai Ke, Umarni n Uwa, Wata Tafi Wata, and Ziyadat, Hadiza says she has lost count of the number of movies she has featured in. But she picked ‘Ban sani Ba’ and ‘Wasila’ as her most memorable movie run.

“They are the first set of movies I took part in. I recall that I was very scared on those sets and that was because I was still learning to speak Hausa then”, she said.

But did Hadiza follow her dream because of the financial reward? “No” she snapped. “Money is secondary even though it is necessary. But it’s the fulfillment I get and the joy that I followed my dream that comes first for me.

Besides, acting is my passion. Money is good, I mean I get paid and I am comfortable and I can pay my bills. But it is not the basic reason I am in it. I am just passionate about acting. I am happy in it and I am happy that I was fortunate to gain the confidence of top directors and producers in Kannywood”.

Ask Hadiza if she is in any relationship and the star of Daina Kuka, Dare Daya, Farar Saka and Fatake n Dare would do anything to parry the question. “I like my privacy a lot and would not want to begin to talk about that aspect of my life here. But I know where you are headed and all I will say is that Allah’s time is the best,” she offers.

But is she pained when some fans get beyond just the usual admiration? She smiles and replies: “Ha, no. I don’t get pained and that is because I have devised a subtle way to keep them in check. I have received some very outrageous proposals from people who think actresses are cheap or don’t know what they want in life or that we can do anything for money. Sometimes they see you playing a wayward girl and they think you are wayward in real life. But we are not. We are very responsible people. I just tell you off politely once I know where you are headed”.

Hadiza’s career ambition is to remain at the top of her game and to do some work outside Kannywood. Marriage is on her plate but she want to get into it at “Allah’s time”. She says: “I want to settle down.

As a Muslim woman, marriage is the best for us. You won’t command respect no matter how wealthy or popular you are if you are not married. So I want to marry early and worship God and be rewarded with Aljannah”.

Star of some Kannywood critically acclaimed movies like Jinin Mijina, Ko Lo and Mukaddari, Anaya, Hadiza who loves to always adorn native attires and who is a perfume freak, says she spends quality time at home when she is not busy on any movie set. Hadiza who also loves to wear silver rings and who revealed that se has a good collection of designer perfumes, says she loves to dance, play music and watch movies too.